On January 11, 2026 Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN; NASDAQ: MOLN), a clinical-stage biotech company developing a novel class of protein drugs known as DARPin therapeutics ("Molecular Partners" or the "Company"), reported an update on its latest progress, developments plans and expected 2026 milestones, which it will present at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California.
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"We are excited to have opened our Phase 1/2a trial in the US for MP0712, our Radio-DARPin targeting DLL3, and look forward to seeing initial clinical data in 2026. Our half-life optimized approach allows us to capitalize on the rapid target internalization to deposit more radiation compared to peptide-like approaches, affording us the ambition to become a leader in alpha-targeted radiotherapy in SCLC," said Patrick Amstutz, Ph.D., CEO of Molecular Partners. "Next to MP0726 targeting MSLN for ovarian cancer, we are working on 4 additional radiotherapy programs and will update on progress in H1 2026. In addition to our Radio-DARPin pipeline, we are progressing MP0317 and MP0533 in clinical trials, ideally led by investigators, and planning first Switch-DARPin candidates for development."
Cash and Cash Equivalents:
As of December 31, 2025, Molecular Partners reports cash and cash equivalents of CHF 93.1 million (unaudited). Based on current operating assumptions, this will be sufficient to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements until 2028. The Company will provide full 2025 financial results on March 12, 2026.
Key current program status updates include:
MP0712 & Radio-DARPin pipeline
MP0712, the Company’s lead Radio-DARPin Therapy (RDT) based on 212Pb and targeting the tumor-associated protein delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3), is being developed with strategic partner Orano Med, pioneer in targeted alpha therapy, for the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and other neuroendocrine cancers. The Investigational New Drug (IND) application has been cleared and a Phase 1/2a trial has now started (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07278479). A first site is open and dosing of the first patient is expected in Q1 2026. The Phase 1/2a study is a multi-center study in the US, with the objectives to assess safety and determine a recommended phase 2 dose for MP0712. The study contains an imaging and dosimetry step with 203Pb-labeled MP0712. The Company expects initial clinical data from the study in 2026.
Molecular Partners presented new data on MP0712 at the Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals (TRP) Summit Europe in November 2025, highlighting first encouraging images of a patient receiving MP0712 carrying the diagnostic isotope 203Pb. The images, obtained through a Named Patient Access Program for compassionate care at NuMeRI in South Africa show targeted delivery of MP0712 into tumors and limited exposure in healthy organs such as kidney and liver, as intended. The NuMeRI team, led by Prof. Mike Sathekge, plans to report the full imaging and dosimetry data of MP0712 at the Theranostics World Congress (TWC) in January 2026.
The Company’s second RDT program MP0726, co-developed with Orano Med, targets mesothelin (MSLN), a tumor target overexpressed across several cancers with high unmet need, such as ovarian cancer. Molecular Partners has developed Radio-DARPins able to selectively bind to membrane-bound MSLN without being impacted by shed MSLN – a mechanism which has hampered the development of other MSLN-targeted therapeutics. The Company presented preclinical data on MP0726 at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) in June. The Company is planning to progress several Radio-DARPin programs towards first-in-human imaging, including MP0726.
Furthermore, Molecular Partners announced in December 2025 the formation of a scientific advisory board (SAB) to accelerate the development of its targeted radiotherapeutics. The SAB, chaired by globally recognized nuclear medicine expert Prof. Ken Herrmann, will be instrumental in guiding Molecular Partners strategic direction as it transitions and evolves from early clinical validation to full clinical development of its targeted alpha radiotherapies.
Molecular Partners has designed its Radio-DARPins as ideal vectors for precise delivery of potent alpha-emitting isotopes to tumor lesions and have the potential to unlock a broad range of solid tumor targets for radiopharmaceuticals.
MP0317 (tumor-localized CD40 agonist)
An investigator-initiated, proof-of-concept Phase 2 study of MP0317 in combination with standard-of-care for the treatment of patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma is now open with two sites activated (NCT07036380). The first patient was treated in early 2026, additional sites are being activated and patients are in screening. The study is a randomized, multicenter study in France and aims to recruit 75 patients (50 in the experimental arm, 25 in the control arm). The objective of the study is to assess the clinical benefit of MP0317 combined with standard-of-care, which comprises the immunotherapy durvalumab (an anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor) plus gemcitabine-cisplatin-based chemotherapy.
MP0317 is designed to activate immune cells specifically within the tumor microenvironment by anchoring to fibroblast activation protein (FAP), which is expressed in high amounts in the stroma of various solid tumors. The Company completed a Phase 1 dose escalation study of MP0317 in patients with advanced solid tumors with 46 patients treated across 9 dose levels, and has presented comprehensive biomarker analyses from the trial at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2024 showing tumor-localized CD40 activation and tumor microenvironment remodeling. The Company believes this tumor-localized approach has the potential to deliver greater efficacy with fewer side effects compared to systemic CD40-targeting therapies.
MP0533 (multispecific T cell engager)
MP0533 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome/AML (NCT05673057).
Data presented at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in December 2025 showed that densified dosing appears tolerable, and leads to markedly improved serum exposure in cycle 1 and encouraging preliminary antitumor activity, in particular in patients with low bone marrow blast count at baseline. Cohort 10 is currently dosing patients, with an update on the program foreseen in H1 2026.
Molecular Partners plans to support the exploration of MP0533 in combination, both in patients with relapsed/refractory disease as well as in front-line, and has been approached by several consortia expressing interest in conducting such studies. The Company is actively engaging with key opinion leaders and regulators to shape the next phase of development, and anticipates updating the clinical plan for MP0533 in H1 2026.
MP0533 is a novel tetra-specific T cell-engaging DARPin designed for selective and broad killing of AML cells in a mutation-agnostic manner. MP0533’s mode of action enables T cell-mediated killing of AML cells – which commonly co-express at least two of the three targeted atigens (CD33, CD123, CD70) – while preserving a therapeutic window that minimizes damage to healthy cells, which normally express one or none of the targets.
Switch-DARPin (next-generation immune cell engagers)
Molecular Partners designed a logic-gated Switch-DARPin TCE to achieve conditional tumor-localized immune activation targeting MSLN and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), which are highly co-expressed in ovarian cancer and other solid tumors. The Switch-DARPin TCE is designed to unmask the CD3-engaging DARPin ("Switch" on) and to activate T cells only upon binding to both MSLN and EpCAM. This Switch-DARPin is half-life extended through a Fc domain, which broadens the Company’s capabilities in half-life engineering modalities.
Based on the encouraging pre-clinical data presented in 2025 at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) and SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper), the Company intends to nominate a lead Switch-DARPin candidate for development in H1 2026 and will provide an update on the program at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026.
J.P. Morgan Presentation Details:
Presenter: Molecular Partners CEO Patrick Amstutz
Time: January 15, 2026, at 10:30-11:10AM PT (19:30-20:10 CET)
Location: The Westin St. Francis San Francisco, CA, USA.
A webcast will be accessible on the Molecular Partners website, under the Events tab.
(Press release, Molecular Partners, JAN 11, 2026, View Source [SID1234661959])